The story starts off by the explanation of Joe Dillon who had introduced the Wild West amongst his friends. This attachment to the Wild West often brings the narrator, Joe Dillon and his young brother Leo to playing an “Indian battle” in their backyard, which always ends up with Joe’s victory dance. The children's attachment to Wild West stories make them bring Wild West magazine to the school, which is passed on around the boys. One day Leo Dillon is caugh with the magazine is chaterised by the Father. He scold that only Protestant boys like Leo reads that kind of rubbish.
When the narrator yearns for greater adventure, him, and Mahony, plan to skip school to embark on an adventure around the Dublin wharf. They decide to visit the Pigeon House there. The narrator collects sixpence from each of the boys as a commitment to the mischief. Despite the payment, only Mahony shows up next morning. They stroll towards the wharf in North Dublin, where they are mistaken as Protestants and get yelled by two street boys.
The boys arrive at the wharf, where they buy food and watch the seaman work. Then they take a ferry ride to cross the river. On the other side, they once again buy some food then approaches to an open field to rest.
As the boys rest on the field, an old lame man walks by. He then backs up his steps and joins the boys. The boys find the man awkward after noticing his yellow teeth, gaped smile and occasional twitches. The old man asks the boys if they have many girlfriends, which surprises them. As the man leaves for a moment, the boys decide to call themselves Smith and Murphy to stay incognito. When the man returns, Mahoney escapes him by chasing after a cat. With the only two of them, the old man starts talking about Mahoney and how he was a kind of children that misbehaves in school and gets whipped. He then mentions boy who talk should be whipped too and he will be willing to whip those kinds of boys. The main character leaves the man, telling him he has to depart.
The story starts off by the explanation of Joe Dillon who had introduced the Wild West amongst his friends. This attachment to the Wild West often brings the narrator, Joe Dillon and his young brother Leo to playing an “Indian battle” in their backyard, which always ends up with Joe’s victory dance. The children's attachment to Wild West stories make them bring Wild West magazine to the school, which is passed on around the boys. One day Leo Dillon is caugh with the magazine is chaterised by the Father. He scold that only Protestant boys like Leo reads that kind of rubbish.
When the narrator yearns for greater adventure, him, and Mahony, plan to skip school to embark on an adventure around the Dublin wharf. They decide to visit the Pigeon House there. The narrator collects sixpence from each of the boys as a commitment to the mischief. Despite the payment, only Mahony shows up next morning. They stroll towards the wharf in North Dublin, where they are mistaken as Protestants and get yelled by two street boys.
The boys arrive at the wharf, where they buy food and watch the seaman work. Then they take a ferry ride to cross the river. On the other side, they once again buy some food then approaches to an open field to rest.
As the boys rest on the field, an old lame man walks by. He then backs up his steps and joins the boys. The boys find the man awkward after noticing his yellow teeth, gaped smile and occasional twitches. The old man asks the boys if they have many girlfriends, which surprises them. As the man leaves for a moment, the boys decide to call themselves Smith and Murphy to stay incognito. When the man returns, Mahoney escapes him by chasing after a cat. With the only two of them, the old man starts talking about Mahoney and how he was a kind of children that misbehaves in school and gets whipped. He then mentions boy who talk should be whipped too and he will be willing to whip those kinds of boys. The main character leaves the man, telling him he has to depart.